The Ties that Bind
by n00dles
Summary: A Kami goddess has fallen from grace because of a decision made long ago. Her punishment, assisting the ningen Miko and her tachi to complete their quest of the Shikon no Tama, bringing balance back to the world.


Dusk has faded and the full moon made its ascent into the darkening sky above. The land, drenched in water from the storm passing by, slowly comes to life as the nocturnal creatures begin to stir. Suddenly, a flash of light broke through the black veil of night then instantly vanishes in a blink of an eye. A lone female stands in that exact spot the anomaly occurred. Distraught and confusion masked her face, as she stood motionless. The silence broken by sounds of the animals in the forest. She cautiously surveys her surround, mumbling to herself.

"No… no… no… this is not happening. This is just a ruse. They will come back for me. Won't they?" questioning herself as she waits for a response. After several minutes, despair reared its ugly head as the reality of her situation finally set in. She exhaled a defeated sign and started walking towards the village, losing herself in thought.

* * *

**~Flashback~**

"Akemi, daughter of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, are you prepared to be judged?" The gentle but commanding voice of Amaterasu echoed throughout the great hall. Everyone watched intently as the girl came forward, facing the Council.

"Hai," she replied with a half curtsey towards the Council members.

"You are charged with interfering in the outcome of the battle between the yōkai and the priestess Midoriko, thus resulting in the creation of the Shikon no Tama. What say ye?" Amaterasu stated.

Lowering her head, Akemi bit her lower lip, before softly replying, "It was just a suggestion. I would not really call it 'interfering,'" slightly smirking at the charges against her. She peered out the corner of her eye to the amusement of Omoikane-sensei and her very unamused chichi. If anything, Akemi was a bit overconfident. Obasan loved her; she would never decree such a harsh punishment and neither would the Council. In her mind, this trial was nothing more than a formality. The most that could possibly happen is a mild scolding by the Council. What are a few mortal deaths compared to the blood of your kin?

"Nonetheless, your 'suggestion' drastically changed the fate of that world. As we speak, a girl child not of this time, battles for some semblance of stability because of your meddling. In spite of the fact that it pains me to pass judgment on my kin, I will not allow my emotions to sway my duties." The goddess Amaterasu replied, stern and expressionless. "Therefore, the Council has decreed that your powers be subdued, your title stripped and you shall be sent to aid Higurashi, Kagome and her tachi in their quest."

Akemi stood silent, mouth agape. Eyes widened as far as they could stretch, she frantically glances over to her chichi. His face displayed a stony exterior, but she can see an inkling of remorse in her father's eyes. _This has to be some sort of jest_, she thought to herself. Closing her mouth, she takes a couple of steps back, shock clearly written on her angelic features.

"You are forbidden to divulge any information pertaining to yourself to anyone. Little by little, you shall regain some powers, but that will solely be based on your interaction with the group and the progression of the quest. You leave immediately, with nothing but the clothes you wear." Tsukuyomi nonchalantly stated. "I suggest you make haste on your journey if you ever wish to return."

She closed her eyes, nausea hitting her hard in the pit of her stomach as the floor beneath her unraveled. The tightening of her throat prevented her from giving voice to her pleas of forgiveness. Several deep breaths later, she opens her eyes to an escort standing beside her. Without uttering a word, she turns and follows the figure out the great hall and into the unknown.

~**End Flashback~**

* * *

Akemi had to admit that the battle between the Priestess Midoriko and the Daiyōkai Magatsuhi was truly epic. The battle itself lasted for seven days and nights. Not wanting to witness the fall of the priestess that impressed her, Akemi whispered into her subconscious; telling her to pulled its soul into her body, fusing it with her own soul and then expelled them both simultaneously. Both yōkai and ningen died, but their souls joined to give birth to the jewel. Midoriko and the demon remained imprisoned within and continued to battle since. Little did she know that lapse of judgment would come back to haunt her.

Here she was, daughter to the god of the moon, dredging through wet mud covering her sandals like another pair of shoes and the bottom of her silk garment clinging to her ankles. If that was not enough, the closer she came to the village, the awful stench within the compound assaulted her nose. Holding her hand over her nose and mouth, she tried to refrain from gagging.

"What is that horrible smell?" she muttered under her breath. Determined to finish this quest as soon as possible, she pulled her long sleeve over her nose and marched towards her destination.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of beautiful golden eyes watched with curiosity as she made her way into the village of the dimwitted hanyou and his ningen Miko.

* * *

**~oOo~**

A/N: Hello all,

I've had this story in the back of my mind for some time now. Knowing that this is not a popular pairing, I went ahead and wrote it anyways. I would love to continue this story if I had enough interested readers and reviews. The pairing for this particular story will eventually be Kagome/InuYasha and Sesshomaru/OC.

ENJOY!

NOTABLE KAMI

Amaterasu: goddess of the sun

Tsukiyumi: the god of the moon

Omoikane: deity of wisdom and intelligence

Akemi: OC intended for story (ake) "bright" and (mi) "beautiful"


End file.
